A Little Grace Goes A Long Way // M-Note 5.21.21

This past week has felt strange for me. With new CDC guidelines, every place I go I am wondering what I should be doing. In most settings, I have been wearing my mask, partly out of habit, and partly out of a sense of hospitality to those around me. It isn’t always clear what to do in each setting I am in.
 
All of us are going through this right now. Trying to figure out what we should do, what we are comfortable doing, and balancing that with the guidelines we receive from experts. It isn’t always clear. This is a season where we should show one another grace. It is a good time to recognize that the vast majority of people are trying to do what they think is right. What another person does may not always line up with what we are ready to do, but we can assume the best, and treat one another with understanding and grace – including at church.
 
This weekend, we have new safety protocols in place that I shared earlier this week. You can review those here. I want to clarify a few points. While we will have all of the chairs back in the sanctuary, we will make plenty of room for those who need or want to social distance. Our hospitality team will be ready to help you, and we will not fill up all of the chairs. Secondly, many people still want to wear masks and that is great. Unvaccinated people are required to wear masks, but we urge any vaccinated person who feels more comfortable wearing one to do so. I know that parents have questions about their children who are too young to receive the vaccine. All of our kids ministry volunteers will be wearing masks when serving. If kids join you in worship, there will be space to social distance. Lastly, we will still have one worship service at each site, but we are making plans for more worship times as we need them. Details on times and locations for worship can be found here. We want to create an environment that welcomes people in safe ways and gives grace for you to do what makes you comfortable.
 
Before I let you go, I want to celebrate a season of exciting transition for many of our students. This weekend, we will be celebrating graduating seniors during our services at all of our sites. (If you have a graduating senior that would like to be recognized in worship, please let us know here). Last weekend, we confirmed 12 of our students. Our vision is to create a Christian community that is compelling for new generations. It is exciting to see the ministry influencing the lives of so many young people. Thank you for all you do to make that kind of church possible.
 
Finally, I am hosting NEXT Tuesday night. I know that in this new season of life many of you are ready to take a step in your faith. Whether you are new or have been coming a while, please join me. You can sign up here and attend in person at the McCausland site or online.

Have a great weekend and I will see you in worship this weekend, in person or online!
 
Peace,
 Matt
 
P.S. This weekend, I will continue our series Heretic: Understanding Misguided Beliefs. I will be talking about reincarnation and how it differs from the Christian understanding of the afterlife. 1 out of every 3 people believe in some form of reincarnation, so I know this is a relevant question for many of your friends. Invite them to join you for worship.